


Dog Love

by Sapphire_Ruby



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21889504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphire_Ruby/pseuds/Sapphire_Ruby
Summary: Henrik's found a pup. Cute pup. Scared pup.
Kudos: 12





	1. Dog Days of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> content warning: animal abuse

It was summer. Heat. Blistering, unrelenting rays beaming down onto the fragile ecosystem. Of course, it seemed like most everything had been made to handle such sun, or adapted, or found coping methods. Henrik wasn't quite at that point yet. The move down south was a good career choice, but his body couldn't handle more than a minute outside without sweating. 

At least today wasn't too horrendous. He could finally get a run in. Until he got fully settled, he'd restricted his runs to once a week, on the weekend at that. Especially if he wanted to get some good sleep. The amount of noise was intrusive and he was lucky to manage a good five or six hours.

Henrik changed into his attire, packed his water, plugged into his music, and headed out. There was a park nearby. It wasn't exactly large, but it still felt refreshing. Fresh air, or what he deemed to be fresh. Soft grass. Shade. And a few passerby or running buddies. Serenity.

Today was just like that. Albeit, with fewer people than normal. A lone bicyclist whirring by as he entered. Quiet. His music didn't have to blare out any sounds today. Peaceful. Henrik seized the opportunity to enjoy the place. There was a bench just up ahead on the edge of the path. But something else caught his eye. A little ways back, near the very limits of the green, a spot of black. Large spot. Living spot.

Earbuds came out and his pace slowed as he approached it. A dog. Laying down dog. It's head perked up when it finally realized that a person was coming closer to it. But it never stood up.

It's neck was restrained by a three foot leash wrapped around the fence. There wasn't any food or water beside it. Its paws shifted as Henrik approached, scooching the pup slightly away. Whispered whimpers grazed the doctor's ears. “It's okay pup, it's okay.” Hands up, body low to the ground, keeping a small distance. This dog wasn't vicious. It was more likely a victim. He was moving slowly, words included. “I won't hurt you.” A couple tiny whap sounds against the fence.

The voice he used with kids. The one that would convince them a shot wouldn’t be so scary. That a doctor wasn't a bad person. That everything was going to be alright. “I'm gonna untie you now.” His hands hovered over the dog. It’s head followed as best it could, but the dog refused to move too much. Smile. That’s what he could do to try and reassure it, if it ever looked over.

The knot itself wasn’t that hard to undo. Tight, but simple. If was like the owner was just leaving the dog for a minute, but that couldn’t be the case. No way. Even more, the fabric was hot. It was obvious that this had been here for an hour, at least. Why would someone do this?

Eyes trained and grip tight, Henrik moved the leash away. The dog didn’t even seem to notice. “I’ve got you pup.” Now it looked up, seeing the leash in his hand. More whaps and some front wiggles. “Come on, let’s get you out of the sun.” Henrik stood and started moving towards the shaded trees. Tension. He looked back, and the leash was taught, slightly tugging at the dog’s head, making Henrik immediately outstretch his arm to give the dog some breathing room. “Pup, we have to get you out of the sun.” It took some time, but its front paws eventually held the chest up. Hindquarters were still planted in the grass. There were some more sounds. Crying. Was it injured? Going back, Henrik did a quick look over. There were some scars on her underside. Some more through the sides of her fur too. Her leg, the one closest to the fence, there was something there. Swollen. Whether it was broken or not, Henrik didn’t know. But, it was more than likely that this dog couldn’t walk on her own.

No way Henrik was just leaving her there though, all alone. So, now it was just a question of if he called someone or tried to take her to the vet himself. Sweat was already on his face. And it would only get hotter. Call. He would call. She though, she was surely scared. Couldn’t walk, and steaming in this heat. Carefully, Henrik reached out his hand. “It’s gonna be alright girl.” He let her sniff his hand, then moved it to behind her ear. Scratches. The few dogs he’d met liked those. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Henrik sat down next to her, blocking the sun rays as best he could. Her head nuzzled into his palm as he kept scratching. “You’re safe with me.”


	2. Puppy Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henrik had gotten her over to the vet to get her the treatment she needed, but he couldn’t just leave her there…

Four days. That’s how long it would be. The number of days until she could be adopted. Until Henrik would adopt her. Didn’t stop him from doing things though. Buying a dog bed, some toys too. Getting lost and needing assistance at the pet store when he realized he had no real idea what he was doing. Reading up on tips for taking care of a dog. Trying to visit her every day. Getting back there once for a few minutes and seeing her face light up as she sat up. That tiny smile. Just affirming that this was what he wanted. 

He’d made preparations to try and make this transition easy for her: no harsh cage, but rather a nice, soft, comfy doggy bed; taking the day off of work, much to the office’s dismay; and inviting one of his brothers to stay with him. As crazy as this decision was, he had to adopt her. But, he wouldn’t leave her alone for the extended hours his job demanded. Trust and delicacy, that’s what he would demand of anyone looking after this dog. Jackie would know how to comfort victims. But, he did have a daytime job and seemed to enjoy it too. And Chase was busy raising his own kids. And Jameson, well, he never seemed fond of all the hair that came from pets. Marvin was the only one left, but he was still qualified. As a child’s entertainer, he could be a ball of energy, but also knew the subtleties to make any situation better. Especially after he started volunteering to cheer up children in hospitals. After he started doing that, something changed in him, for the better as far as Henrik could tell.

Convincing Marvin to come down wasn’t too difficult. It didn’t hurt either that Marvin loved animals. Luckily, he arrived at the lodging the night before she came home. It would be so much easier on her if she could be held during the drive back. Give her stability. From what Henrik could tell, she couldn’t use her back legs, but the nurses were trying to follow protocol; meaning he wasn’t privy to her medical information. But, it would only be a short time, and then he could take care of her.

Offices opened at 9. That couldn’t come soon enough. He’d almost forgotten about his coffee until Marvin handed him a mug full of it. “You’re bouncy,” he mused, taking a drink from his own mug. “Haven't seen you like this since you got into med school.”

Henrik chugged his dirty bean water down, forgetting to breathe for a minute. “I'm giddy.” There was a grin on his face. Positively radiating. Not even bothering to hide behind a calm demeanor like normal. Why should he?

Arguments over who would drive came up. Claims that Marvin was too tired and Henrik too excited, neither able to drive at full capacity. The decisive end came when Marvin took both sets of keys and held them hostage in his jeep. There was no sense arguing at that point — just get in the car and become navigator, one that apparently couldn’t sit still. At least he could still call out directions in his heightened state.

The nurses weren’t surprised to see Henrik today, but they finally had that good news he was hoping for. It was all so much, and he didn’t even remember filling out all the forms. But, then he was brought to an exam room. He couldn’t sit, the energy in him flowing through his legs, pacing around the room. Marvin just occasionally tried to mess up his pattern, trying to bring him back down to reality. 

A twist of the door handle and he was frozen solid. Then scampers. As soon as he saw that little face peek through the door, he was squatting down at her level. She wasn’t running, more like a hobble or a slow moseying. Her eyes were so big though. Her tongue flapping out too. It didn’t take long for her to start liking Henrik once she was on him. And he just started fluffing around with her fur.

It took effort to pull his attention away to hear about her medical information. She was probably some labrador mix. She was small for what they presumed to be her age. They gave her some vaccinations and she had to undergo some surgery. Her leg had been broken and seemed to have gotten an infection. There was a purple cast spanning from her toes to her hip on her right hind leg. Henrik scratched behind her ears and her body laid down on the floor. How was one dog this impossibly adorable?

He was instructed to give her antibiotics twice a day and a pain killer as necessary. He would have to come back in four weeks to see how she was doing. Also that he should keep the cast dry. Hopefully Marvin was paying attention too. Henrik couldn’t really focus his attention on the words, just his sleepy little puppy.

She felt heavy in his arms. Almost too fragile to handle. He cradled her like a baby, trying to support every single part of her. She started nuzzling her snoot into the crook of his elbow. It was lucky that Marvin was there to get the doors and to hold all the other things Henrik required from the vet. It really was a good idea to take the day off today, because Henrik couldn’t even imagine leaving her at this point in time. 

On the drive back, Henrik let her body rest on his legs, still encompassing her with his arms in a hug. Nothing would happen to his little puppy. “You’re really in love with her, aren’t ya?”

Henrik turned his attention away from her for a moment, “What?”

“You’re just hopeless, like Chase when he brought Samantha home from the hospital.” Henrik looked back down at her, stroking her ears. She was asleep, and it was just melting him. “You have a name for her?”

That was something he didn’t have ready. All this prep, and he’d forgotten the most basic thing. But looking down at her, it just hit him. “Mia... I think I’m gonna call her Mia.” She let out a little huff, maybe a snore. Her mouth looked like a little smile. “My little Mia.”


	3. Parties are Always Ruff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henrik has had Mia for a couple of months now. It’s Christmas time, and he’s been invited to Chase’s annual Christmas party. Seems like a good excuse to see family, and for them all to finally meet Mia.

Henrik made the trek up to his hometown. Mia was doing so good. Her makeshift car seat providing a cozy place for her to lay down. Hopefully she would have the energy to meet other people. She was getting so much better at it too. Of course she had her reservations, but at least Chase’s crazy Christmas bash was only for tonight. Everything would be quieter at Jackie's the rest of the week. 

The pair finally pulled onto the street and found a place on the curb at the edge of Chase’s property. It was a bigger party than he’d originally thought. Henrik looked back at Mia. He was expecting a small gathering, but this... Maybe this was too much. The thought to just turn and leave came to the front of his mind. But he’d also made a promise to his brothers. This was the year he would finally make it and not spend his night in the ER. It would have been easy to say no, saved him a trip too, but he did miss them, and wanted them to meet Mia.

Pressing his hands into the steering wheel and back into his seat, he knew his decision. “Alright Mia,” hand headed towards his seat belt, “you ready?” Her head poked out of the box. A small yawn brimming her lips. Henrik smiled at her as he stepped out. Circle the car, and then he opened up her side. Paws were already hanging over the edge expectantly. He picked her up and plooped her onto the ground, making sure that he grabbed the leash dragging behind her. The air was cold, but not too chilly for the doctor. Though, the snow on the ground may have added to the icy feeling.

Mia started moving about, nose down in the white fluff, leaving tiny paw prints behind. Making loops and crossing all over. “What is it???” His voice was getting higher. Her tail started doing that little stutter that was her wag. “What is that stuff??” At the sound of his question, Mia lifted up her snoot, sending some tiny crystals flying into the air. Some of them landed further back on her face, making her jump back a little.

“You’re so adorable.” Henrik lunged down towards her face and flopped her ears a bit. The flakes that had stuck to her were starting to melt off. “Come on, let’s get you inside.” Henrik locked up his car, let her have a chance to do some business, and stepped up to the doorstep. 

Laughter could be heard through the walls. It was lively, bouncing... sounded... fun. One last look down at Mia. She was staring right back up at him, white paws and all, tail swishing back and forth as fast as her body would let her. Three taps on the door. A beat or two, then the sound of mechanisms. A crack of light, an ugly Christmas shirt, and a floppy Santa hat that hung over in front of a blonde mess. “HEEYY!!” Chase raised an arm up, and braced him into a slap-kind-of-hug-greeting. After a sufficient patting, he reeled onto the door, a bit off-balance. “AnD YOu Brought MIA!!” Mia’s feet danced. She was getting really excited. Looks like she wanted to say hi to him. “COme on In, Come on,” Chase beckoned. Henrik stepped inside, Mia following right behind. It felt so warm inside. The doctor closed the door while Chase bent down to play with Mia, the little pup scampering around his hand. It was looking like tonight he would finally enjoy a Christmas. “Can’t Believe you have such a CUtie Bro!!” Licks. Mia was licking him now. Both of them could have fun.


	4. Holiday Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for context: this is the day before the Christmas party

Once Chase turned the corner of the street revealing his house, his heart jumped. He sped the short distance home and nearly gave himself whiplash with the sudden stop. As soon as the car was in park, Chase was running up his walk to the front door. He jammed each button of his door code as quick as he could then flung open the door, shouting “Jameson?!” as he moved towards the living room. Veering around the corner, Chase hoped that he was sitting on the couch, sipping a cup of tea, but no such luck. No footsteps upstairs either. “Jameson!” Chase called out more urgently than before. Kitchen. He  _ had _ to be there. A few more paces and Chase had a full view of the kitchen. Nothing. His mind started racing faster and feet moving quicker to the next room in the house. Suddenly, there was a clattering behind Chase that made him stop in his tracks. Spinning around, there was Jameson, behind the kitchen island, oven mitts on his hands.

Chase let out a heavy sigh of relief and staggered over to his brother. “Jamie,” he breathed out, pulling his brother into a hug. Chase squeezed extra tight, like how he would greet his own kids.

After a few seconds, he backed out and just looked at Jameson. Santa hat, little bit of chocolate on his cheek, and a smile on his face. Chase took another couple of deep breaths before finally speaking. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” His heart was still beating so fast that he could hear the pulse in his ears. “What were you thinking, putting the lights up by yourself? That’s the exact opposite of what I told you to do! You could have fallen off the roof and broken something, or knocked yourself out! And what would have happened then?!” Chase threw his hands up for emphasis, and just looked at Jamie, relieved that he was okay, but so disappointed. Safety had become a top priority since Chase had kids. Jamie knew that — all his brothers were painfully aware of it. How could Jamie have done something so reckless?

Jamie shook his head against Chase’s accusation.  _ “Not me,” _ he signed, keeping his hands near his face, almost looked like he was cowering from Chase.

“But, but–”

_ “Heroic,” _ Jameson signed plainly, taking a step back.

“Jackie?” It had been, what, four– five years since they’d talked. Or rather, since Chase stopped talking to him. But, he was here, now? Chase grabbed Jamie again and looked at him, still bewildered by the fact that his brother was here. “Where is he?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short and doesn't involve sweet little Maya, but I kinda want to develop the entire universe.  
> Don't entirely know where this will go or what plot it's gonna have, but I want to build this bigger than just the small idea I started with


End file.
